But would you bet against us in four years’ time asking why they had not become world beaters?

I wonder why England were so poor. There’s a goalkeeper and three defenders who shared title and Champions League medals between them from last season, another title winner in James Milner, an exceptional midfielder in Gerrard and a world-class striker in Wayne Rooney.

Yet put us all together and what do we get? Players who cannot pass the ball to each other.

Perhaps the problem is we have too many foreign players in the Premier League and not enough English talent gets through.

Perhaps that is the price we pay for having a league as diverse and entertaining as ours.

Perhaps the FA have one plan, the Premier League another and until there is one cohesive idea to get a better national team things will not change.

Perhaps England is not important enough to everyone any more.

Which is why we go home with our heads held high along with the Czechs and Greeks.